There Is a Difference Between Getting Out of High School and Being Ready for College

South Dakota's schools continue to have a high graduation rate compared to the entire nation.

The state’s Department of Education school performance listing shows that 90 percent of eligible students finished high school, with just under 83 percent doing so in four years. Both of those figures are about the same as last year. Compare that to the national figure, which is 80 percent for the year 2012.

Though schools are maintaining the graduation rate, the report also found that students are slipping in college readiness. Just over 67 percent of students who took the ACT met the South Dakota Board of Regents' benchmark in math and just over 75 percent met the benchmark in English. Both figures are lower than the previous year.